By August this year, 100 percent of cargo on U.S. passenger planes will have to be screened. Most of the screening — and the safe warehousing and delivery of the screened goods — will be handled not by the government, but by private shippers who, if they comply with government regulations, will be certified as “safe shipper” (or “known shippers,” as they are called in some countries). The goods delivered to airports by these safe shippers will be subjected to less rigorous — and, hence, speedier — security checks. Shippers around the world thus find it in their interest to undertake security measures recommended by their government.
Here is a case in point. Avigilon, a player in the high definition (HD) and megapixel video surveillance field, the other day announced that Airberg, the U.K.’s specialist food exporter, has deployed the Avigilon HD Surveillance System to comply with government-regulated security requirements. “By deploying Avigilon’s advanced, high definition surveillance system that captures even the smallest detail, we can confidently achieve ‘known shipper’ status, eliminating the inconvenience and expense of having our cargo checked every time we ship goods by air, a savings of more than £700,000 each year,” said Tony Coates, sales director and co-owner at Airberg. “With the Avigilon HD Surveillance System in place, we can also protect our facility from theft and vandalism, minimize the loss and damage of goods, and ensure the safety of our employees.”
Security Debrief is a blog dedicated to homeland security, terrorism and counter-terrorism, intelligence and law enforcement that provides context to the debates, policies and politics that are playing out in Washington, D.C.
